ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 008798 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EUR/SE, EUR/PD, NEA/PD, DRL JCS PASS J-5/CDR S. WRIGHT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KMDR TU SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2002 THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE THEMES: HEADLINES BRIEFING EDITORIAL OPINION -------------- HEADLINES MASS APPEAL US wants troops, land, and bases - Hurriyet US asked for 40,000 thousand Turkish troops - Milliyet AKP Siirt deputy Mervan will go, Erdogan will come - Hurriyet Siirt becomes Erdogan's destiny - Sabah Heavy diplomatic traffic in Ankara for Cyprus - Milliyet OPINION MAKERS Turkey is the logistical base - Cumhuriyet US delegation arrives in Ankara today - Radikal Electoral Board clears the way for Erdogan's premiership - Radikal Siirt Elections cancelled - Cumhuriyet Another 48 hours from the UN - Cumhuriyet Tension on Cyprus issue - Radikal BRIEFING U/S Grossman and DepSecDef.Wolfowitz visit: "Hurriyet" gives front-page coverage to the Grossman-Wolfowitz visit. The story reports that the US had earlier conveyed a list of requests from Turkey for a possible operation in Iraq through a letter to the Turkish Ambassador in Washington. The letter reportedly included a request for 35,000 Turkish troops to be held in reserve for possible intervention in Northern Iraq, the use of Turkish air bases, the use of Turkish territory for US ground troops, and the use of several ports. The letter also reportedly included a December 8 deadline for response, and Grossman and Wolfowitz will attempt to learn Ankara's initial reaction today. Papers listed the predominant issues for the visit as Iraq, the EU, and Cyprus. Erdogan to Parliament: Turkey's Supreme Election Board (YSK) ruled on Monday that the elections in the southeastern city of Siirt will be canceled. The decision came after the AKP applied to the YSK to cancel the elections in Siirt because of irregularities in three ballot boxes. According to YSK procedures, the elections in Siirt will be repeated 60 days following the cancellation decision, i.e. in February 2003. All papers highlight this development as the opportunity for AKP leader Erdogan to be elected to parliament. Cyprus: Papers note the increasing number of diplomatic visitors, and comment that the pressure on the Cyprus issue is mounting. Greek FM Papandreou reportedly changed his program to come to Ankara a day early in order to meet U/S Grossman to discuss the Cyprus issue. The visits of UN Representative De Soto, the Danish Foreign Minister, and British FM Straw are portrayed as efforts to `increase pressure on the Cyprus issue prior to the EU summit.' EDITORIAL OPINION: Grossman and Wolfowitz visit "Cards Uncovered on Iraq" Chief columnist of mass appeal Hurriyet, Oktay Eksi wrote (12/3): "It seems that the US has finally expressed its demands and expectations from Turkey on the Iraq issue and presented them formally to the Turkish side. . All of the reported demands obviously serve US interests both in the short and long term. They require, however, careful evaluation by Turkey based on Turkish interests. . Let's not forget the fact that once the Iraq operation takes place, the US will leave the region. It will be Turkey that will be faced with the reality of Iraq as its immediate neighbor. This reality alone invalidates the possibility of `Turkish soldiers in combat against Iraq.' After all, why do we have to get involved in the US operation against Iraq? Clearly this is going to happen largely because of US oil interests."